Google is preparing for a September trial in a separate antitrust case where the DOJ alleges the company illegally monopolizes the market for technology used in digital advertising.
Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google parent Alphabet, announced that the company plans to appeal the ruling.
In a written statement, he stated, “This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available.”
Walker emphasized Google’s commitment to creating products that are both helpful and user-friendly, despite the legal challenges.
Destruction of Internal Messages
Judge Mehta criticized Google for destroying internal messages that could have been pivotal in the case.
The company had an auto-erase policy for chat messages after 24 hours, a practice that Mehta found troubling.
“I was taken aback by the lengths to which Google goes to avoid creating a paper trail for regulators and litigants,” Mehta noted.
Despite this, the judge chose not to impose sanctions for the behavior, as it did not significantly impact the court’s assessment of Google’s liability.
